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Fun and Games

Ever since the advent of the personal computer, people have looked to them for entertainment just as much as for business use. This holds true to this day, and portable devices are no exceptions. When the work is done, here are a few iPhone games that will provide hours of fun and won’t cost you a cent.

Sol Free Solitaire (Smallware) – One of the ultimate time killers ever to come to computers, it’s only natural that it would come to the iPhone. Sol Free Solitaire contains five games in one: Klondike Deal 1, Klondike Deal 3, Baker’s Game, Demon and Spiderette. The perfect, age old way to pass a little or a lot of time.

Bejeweled (PopCap Games) – One of the most popular games ever created by PopCap Games, Bejeweled is a simple puzzle game that’s fun and highly addictive. Match three or more jewels of different colors and shapes by swapping two at a time to clear them from the board. Creating combos by matches falling into place creates special gems that can clear several around itself or clear all of one color from the board.

TapTap Revenge (Tapulous) – Rhythm games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero have become very popular lately. Many software companies look to create similar games to provide a variety of choices. TapTap Revenge is one such game. Catch the falling arrows synced to its own music by tapping the screen or shaking the iPhone from side to side. Also includes a two player mode to compete with your friends.

Duck Hunt (Nintendo) – A classic console game emulated for the iPhone. Tap the screen to fire up to three shots at the duck flying around (two ducks in later rounds) before they fly away. Ten ducks advances you to the next round, which start flying faster. A great game for coordination or a bit of nostalgia (stop laughing at me, dog!).

The Battle for Orion’s Belt (Cellufun) – A unique game out of the bunch, The Battle for Orion’s Belt is a top-down action game that pits your spaceship against others in an engaging story where you rise from the ranks and eventually command a squadron of your own. Upgradeable ships, customizable controls and unlocked trophies will have you coming back again and again to put your top score in the game’s community.

Of course, this list only scratches the surface of the available free mobile phone games for the iPhone. There are literally hundreds of games in every genre imaginable: sports, action, adventure, card games, board games, pet simulators and some which defy all categories. Quite a few of them won’t cost you a cent, but you should always be careful. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for. But these are few and far between. For every game that feels like it was thrown together in an afternoon, there’s another that has an unexpected amount of detail and work put into it. With enough time, you’re sure to find games that you’ll play over and over again.

Mobile game development is currently experiencing a phenomenal rise, especially with the increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets. Among these devices, Apple iOS and Android devices are particularly well known. Several such apps can be downloaded both from the Apple Store and the Google Play store. However, it is easier to play on Tablets due to larger screens.

Looking at the ever-increasing sales of smart devices and rapid enhancements, mobile game development is clearly in an evolutionary phase. In 2009, smartphone game sales with only iOS and Android platforms comprised 19% of the market. Two years ahead it rose to 58% and it is at the top of the apps market at present, created expected revenues of more than $8 million for 2013 and possibly twice the previous year in 2014. Each day witnesses the addition of several new mobile game developers into playing communities.

As an SDK, Unity is a common platform that is used for preparing phone play systems. It can be defined both for iOS and Android Operating Systems. The latest one commonly used by developers is Unity 4, which helps in creating high quality contests with less time and cost. New features such as real-time shadows, multi-screen Airplay and dynamic fonts have been incorporated in Unity 4. In short, an entire mobile gaming ecosystem has been created by Unity.

In general, the mobile game development industry has slowly blossomed into a multimillion dollar industry, as a part of the IT sector. By the end of year 2010, it generated a total revenue of US$ 800 million. Many different companies have their gaming smart devices in the market- Sony has released the Xperia Play (PlayStation phone) on which PlayStation games can be played with similar controls. Recently Microsoft also made its entry by releasing Windows Phone 7, which can connect to the XBOX 360 console.

Surprisingly, the international community has a larger engaging audience among middle-aged individuals compared youngsters. Mobile gaming is most popular among adults from 50-59 years in the US, closely followed by 30-49. These days, there is also a mobile game development company which promotes gaming for a socially beneficial cause. Modern lifestyle ensures one can easily engage in the fun through a smart device while being on the move.

Smart devices travel everywhere that people do. They are used for almost every function, such as surfing the Net, checking email, social networking and chatting. In addition, a significant percentage of users devote time to recreation. With the gaming fever catching on, an increasing number of mobile game developers are creating engaging games that can be downloaded either for free or paid. The advantage of smart devices against computer recreation is that the former can be carried around.

Since the iPhone was launched and the App store was released upon the world, we’ve seen thousands upon thousands of new apps and games flood the market from creative individuals and developers. This made mobile gaming a true platform to be enjoyed by literally everyone with access to a Smartphone, iPod touch or other compatible device. Specifically I’m talking mobiles/Smartphones/Tablets and not PS Vita or Nintendo DS/3DS.

From the age old classic of ‘Snake’ a decade or so ago in black and white, where having any game on your phone was a novelty in even the most basic of forms, to now almost PlayStation 2 level graphical quality with games such as N.O.V.A or Real Racing series by EA – mobile gaming has come a very long way indeed. Making calls and shooting zombies all on the same device has never been so rewarding or time consuming. From a good business standpoint it’s opened up the gaming market to the widest audience possible – a recent report found that 79% of 18-44 year olds have their Smartphones near them 22 hours a day. Giving consumers something fun to do while they are waiting or commuting whilst being engaged with a brand/mobile advertising is the best of both worlds one may think, but can this be destructive?

Games come in many varieties. Free, paid for or a disconcerting mixture called ‘Freemium’. Free games are generally supported by advertising (as are Freemium) whereas paid games generally speaking contain few or no advertisements. The paid or free games I take no issue with. Freemium however are cleverly disguised as ‘Free’ but soon either halt your game progress or constantly bombard you with slightly misleading options which make you unsure whether you have to pay or not. The aim is to get you so hooked with an addictive business model that you feel enamoured to spend money to continue. Granted, the issues arising from this are aimed at the younger audiences entering their Apple id and not realising there is a charge yet it’s an unsavoury practice. It’s much like a game demo but a very restrictive one that is rarely representative of a decent gaming experience. As a result this has caused untold grief for many people mistakenly making payments which were unclear and generally creating a bad taste in consumer’s mouth.

There is a fear in my mind that a Smartphone culture has made us all both less aware of what is going on around us, but also turning our brains on autopilot to an extent. On the train this morning out of 6 seats (split into 2 sets of 3 facing each other) every single person was deep into their Smartphone swiping and tapping. We’re in a digital age so naturally assume this to be pretty normal and there is almost a stigma attached to you if you don’t have a Smartphone, however I can’t help feeling a little jaded that most would spend all day with screens in offices and the natural instinct is to look at another screen on the way home. People miss train stops, lose track of time or even have been close to having an accident walking across the road due to playing on their Smartphone. Make no mistake, Smartphones will only get more advanced and more time sappingly engaging addictive games will arrive

Largely due to the complexity of mobile games we can now tweet, share and socially integrate ourselves with our digital counterparts. Perhaps cynically it’s a way to boost brands’ digital footprint under the guise of competing with your friends for a high score. In previous times the computer opponent was the only top score that mattered and now you’re up against the world – a daunting task if ever there was one, but empowering nonetheless.

Shady DLC practices and social monitoring aside, mobile gaming will simply continue to drain both time and money from many consumers but ultimately levitating any notion of boredom that ever existed when your train breaks down, your girlfriend is late or you’ve had that dodgy Indian curry and are ‘otherwise engaged’.